WILL WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS,
AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S GUEST

Today’s guest is no stranger to Picture Books Help Kids Soar. We’ve featured Gayle on Will Write for Cookies in 2019 when ONCE UPON A TWISTED TALE launched, as well as for Perfect Picture Book Friday. And of course, Gayle has been a huge supporter of #50PreciousWords, often donating signed books, picture book critiques, and Zoom chats.

Named the 2022 MG first place winner of the Kid’s Choice KIDLIT Writing Contest, Gayle is a PAL SCBWI member and currently writes PB, MG and YA novels. Her YA novel, Ratgirl:Song of the Viper, a retelling of The Pied Piper in a globally-warmed future was nominated for the Boston Globe /Horn Book and The International Reading Association Award. Her picture book Rock Star Santa was performed as a play in Australia and presented at Storytime in Montserrat, British West Indies with a real British Rock Star. Her picture book Daddy, Can You See the Moon? shares royalties with Our Military Child, an organization that helps veteran’s children deal with their parent’s war injuries/deployment. And her new picture book, Zadie and the Witch’s Tea launches July1, 2023.
Website – www.gayleckrause.com
Blog – https://thestorytellersscroll.blogspot.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/gayle.c.krause
Twitter – @GeeCeeK

ME: Welcome, Gayle. We’re so happy to have you here…for Will Write for Cookies AND for a Cover Reveal. Thank you for offering a generous giveaway of a copy of the new book, ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA and some book swag. I know everyone is excited to learn more about you, so let’s get to the questions…and we’ll do the cover reveal shortly.
Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

GAYLE: As a voracious reader, my parents couldn’t keep up with my appetite for reading, so I mostly read fairytale anthologies. I remember they did purchase an Illustrator Classics Junior comic book for me of my favorite fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. As a younger child I read Little Golden Books. My favorite, which I still have, was Uncle Mistletoe. Ha! It’s probably worth money by now. A real antique.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?

GAYLE: I wish I understood that my story can only be told by me, and that so many variables go into the formula as to why a manuscript is chosen/not chosen for publication. And many times, it has nothing to do with the quality of the writing.

But I love to write for children. I tend to gravitate toward fantasy/fairytale reimagining’s! Hmmm! I wonder how that happened?

ME: Talking about fantasy/fairytale, perhaps this is the perfect moment to do your COVER REVEL…

WOW…that’s such a cool cover! I LOVE Kate Talbot’s art! And I know what a fun story this is because I saw early drafts of it!

ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen, and paper?

GAYLE: I write in my office, surrounded by fantasy art that inspire my creativity. Mermaids. Fairies. Witches and Dragons. I use my laptop, but if I’m riding in a car on a long trip, I use pen and lined tablet, write the scene out long hand, and then type it into my computer upon my return.

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?        

GAYLE: On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I write soon after breakfast. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I write after lunch. The difference? I go to the gym on M-W-F mornings. As far as my muse speaking to me, I write as much as it takes to finish a scene. Then wait for inspiration to continue. I NEVER sit in front of an empty computer screen and try to force words.

ME: Why do you write for children?

GAYLE: As the oldest daughter in a family of three girls and the oldest girl on the block growing up, I always dreamt up stories and activities to keep the younger kids occupied. Often, they were creative dramatic activities. We had a circus, a tea party, a talent show, and pretend ballet performances, even though none of us took ballet. I made up the dances and the kids followed me. I was a natural leader, which explains why I became a teacher, training prospective teachers to be as creative in their teaching techniques as I am. Many of my students are now classroom teachers using the same creative skills I taught them, with their students. And I write to inspire children to develop a love of reading, so they too can find their creativity.

ME: Also, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about, that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

GAYLE: Advice for New Writers: Never believe you are an imposter. Only you can write your stories.

Advice for Parents: Make time to read to your children/grandchildren.

Advice for Educators: As a retired teacher, I always incorporated Literature into my lessons. Example: When I taught History of Education, my students read 1984, Brave New World, or Walden Two etc…

And every year I ran a trip to NYC to see a Broadway play, but to be eligible to go on the trip, my students had to read the literature book that related to the play and write a book report first. Cats by T.S. Eliot – Wicked by Gregory McGuire – The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen – Once Upon a Mattress etc…

Advice for Librarians: Consider purchasing books of lesser-known authors for your school libraries. There are some gems in that category.

ME: That’s fabulous advice, Gayle.

To find out more about Gayle and her books: Gayle’s Website

To order copies of ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
And because this is a Will Write for Cookies post, I think you all know what is next! Gayle is sharing a recipe for cookies that appear in ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA!

Excerpt from Zadie and the Witch’s Tea by Gayle C. Krause
She set Mummy wraps next to Zombie meringues.
Then brewed bubble tea and ate Vampire fangs.

And here is the recipe for Zombie Bone Meringues

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
2 drops fresh lemon juice
7 tablespoons white sugar
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats
Step 2:
Whisk egg whites and lemon juice together in a bowl until thick. White and foamy. Add sugar
a spoonful at a time, whisking constantly, until meringue is shiny, thick, and holds its shape.
Step 3:
Transfer meringue to a piping bag. Pipe bone shapes onto a prepared baking sheet.
Step 4:
Bake in preheated oven until dried and firm, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven. Close the door
and cool until completely dried. (about another hour)

YUM! Wouldn’t that be fun…to read the book with your kids and then make the Zombie Bone Meringues!
I hope you all try the recipe…and I hope you all leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA and some book swag! Maybe you can tell us in the comments who YOU would love to have tea with if you could choose any person, living or dead.

And I’ll leave you with the cutest little trailer that Gayle made for her book: